{* Inline styles are used for the login buttons here because the use of #menu id selector supercedes use of selectors *}
{* here without the use of !important. Rather than fix #menu, just port pages to HTML5 templates. -- MM 2013-08-16 *} ?>

The Lake

Author's note:
I always have story beginnings running through my mind, and i ran with this one! Please give...
Show full author's note »

Author's note: I always have story beginnings running through my mind, and i ran with this one! Please give feedback! It will help me to keep writing and to improve. Also leave a comment and i will gladly see your work and try to comment and rate as well. Thank you!
« Hide author's note

Jake Chapter 1

JAKE

Let the daily yelling begin. Tonight’s argument is voiced by: Mom vs. Dad of the Derby family. I feel like there should be a guy in a black and white striped shirt and a bell like the ones that are used in the actual wrestling matches. After that all I would need is a wrestling rink. Geez, they’re really going at it tonight. What’s the topic now? Is it blaming someone bad grades? Maybe it’s Lacy and about how if they don’t stop pushing her so hard she’s going to quit whatever club she’s in. Whatever it is, I really don’t care because I won’t be here to listen to the sound waves that travel through the hall.

I started leaving the house during the arguments about a year ago. The first day I left I didn’t exactly know where to go once I got out the back door. So what I decided to do was go to the place where everyone else went at midnight: The Lake. My old ford truck I’ve been fixing up was sitting in the driveway and I hopped in and started the engine.

On my way to the lake I stopped by the local Grab-&-Road to get some snacks. I figured I’d be out late tonight. My parents would never know I was gone because they’d be too busy arguing and once they quit they’d be too tired from arguing and fall asleep as soon as their heads hit either a couch or bedroom pillow. I was hungry anyway because mom and dad were arguing over whether to have roast beef or pasta. So, go figure, dinner never got made. My eyes scanned the varieties of chips and candies. I ended up grabbing a half of a ready made ham and cheese sandwich and Cheetos with a Pepsi to drink.

I drove with my eyes on the road and the only sound was the tires hitting the pavement and the engine humming. After driving past most of the crowds of frat boys and girls, drunkards, or both, I found a medium sized area that seemed surprisingly undisturbed. My Nikes hit the sand and I took a look around. This area was surrounded by trees and brush I noticed how my truck accidently got through on a road that most people never go on. No wonder this place was so hidden, the trees were like a wall of privacy. Another thing I noticed about the area I now called mine was that it was on a cliff and when near the edge you could see the entire lake almost. I plopped myself down on the sand and took in the long tan grass and evergreen colored trees that were vaguely lighted by the moon. This place was simply amazing.

I enjoyed the quiet time I got at the river that I couldn’t get at home. It was very peaceful and the only loud noise I got was from some dirt bikers fishtailing on the trail or the occasional party that was near. Using the much needed time to think, I realized how depressed I was and how I’ve been this way since mom and dad started arguing. After a while of the non-stop yelling the sadness never really went away. I was sad for a lot of things like, mom and dad fighting, Lacy, and how lacy had to deal with the arguing so young.

Lacy is my little sister. She’s almost 16 in a few weeks and I’m two years older than her. The arguments started when she was about twelve and at first they were just little money arguments. Lacy was a deep sleeper, so the arguments didn’t wake her up or bother her. As time went on, however, mom and dad’s arguments became louder, longer, and in need of a bell and a wrestling rink. The arguments started waking little Lace up and affecting her so she started coming into my room at night to play video games with me. Later on, Lacy was able to stay up like me and still go through a week of school before crashing for the entire day on Saturdays. Our sleep schedules were basically synced together. One of the reasons I came out without Lacy tonight was because she was able to get some sleep tonight unlike me. Since the arguing started Lacy and I became really close, we had the brother-sister bond most siblings didn’t have. It felt weird leaving her out of something like this, but I promised myself I’d bring her to my new spot next time. I figure she’d like it just as much as I do.